Youngtown man gets prison for abusing his baby boy

PHOENIX -- A Youngtown man accused of child abuse after his infant son
suffered multiple broken ribs has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Maricopa County prosecutors say 19-year-old Benjamin Joseph Cooper also was
sentenced Thursday to 18 years of supervised probation.

Cooper was arrested last October after he told authorities that he squeezed his
crying child while trying to swaddle him in a blanket, then heard a popping
sound.

Authorities say Cooper also told them that he accidentally dropped the
5-week-old boy in a bassinet and the infant hit his head on the crib.

A social worker at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center notified authorities after
the infant was treated for dehydration and a bruise on his cheek. Medical
staffers say they saw the broken ribs on X-rays.